Competitive electricity markets are driving innovation, stimulating new investment, and delivering customer choice across North America, concludes the 2010 Annual Baseline Assessment of Choice in Canada and the United States (ABACCUS). The annual study from Distributed Energy Financial Group finds customer choice thriving because well-structured electricity markets have introduced new products and services which are unavailable in monopoly utility markets.

ABACCUS finds many innovative products and services available to customers in these markets, including the ability to lock in prices for a year or more, indexed energy prices, clean energy generation, distributed power generation, greater reliability and the opportunity to participate in bulk power markets.

In addition, ABACCUS notes market forces created significant economic benefits in 2010. Consumers were better able to take advantage of lower overall fuel prices through competitive rate offerings, and energy efficiency and demand response programs continued to grow in many organized markets. These benefits not only enable consumers to reduce their electricity costs, but also lessen the need for new generation investment.